Books I've Loved Over the Years...
I was reminded recently about why I love fiction and creative writing generally: within those pages, I inhabit someone else's experience and expand my capacity for empathy, my understanding of what it means to be human. This happened so wonderfully as I read Lakiesha Carr's novel, An Autobiography of Skin. The women Carr writes about have had very different experiences than me and move through this world with challenges they must daily overcome, challenges I have not known, yet their strength, beauty, and audacity to claim their power is something all women can understand and hope for.
As the COVID-19 pandemic slides into its third year and the war in Ukraine continues, I find myself seeking escape. Marian Keyes' books are the perfect remedy. I'm working my way through her whole catalogue. Humor, romance, glimpses into modern Irish living: everything I need to quiet the world's noise.
As I neared the end of Jaclyn Moriarty's Gravity is the Thing, I teared up at the sweet human connection between the narrator and a stranger. It's been a tough year with the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing, especially from people outside our bubbles. Yet Moriarty's book reminded me of the joy we can find in others' company and the grace that sincere, person-to-person relationships add to our lives.
I'm not normally one for mysteries, but I really enjoyed Tana French's The Searcher for its literary depiction of complex characters, both young and old. I was transported to small-town Ireland and carried along by the story, eager to figure out what truly happened in this place and what the main character would do about it. I'm looking forward to digging into French's other works.
Finished Samantha Irby's Wow, No Thank You and laughed aloud at her very relatable tales of comfy pants and living in Michigan. Can't wait to read her first two books.
I just picked up R.L. Maizes' collection of short stories titled, We Love Anderson Cooper. Funny and human tales of teens, women, and men, some Jewish, some not, all trying to find their way in a world of social media and change.
Listened to the audio recording of Liane Moriarty's Nine Perfect Strangers (way before it was optioned for a movie). Loved the humor and distinctive voices, as well as the journeys each character undertakes during a 10 day health spa retreat.